Hold Onto Life
by BlackBlood1872
Summary: Jazz dies. It's not how she thought it would be. [Not as sad as it sounds. Twoshot]
1. Chapter 1

_Hold Onto Life_  
>Summary: Jazz dies. It's not how she thought it would be. [Not as sad as it sounds. Twoshot]<br>Genre: Hurt/Comfort & Family  
>Characters: Jazz F. (&amp; Clockwork &amp; Danny &amp; Sam &amp; Tucker &amp; Maddie &amp; Jack)<p>

Notes: pairing wise, there's sort of some implied/faint Temporal Intelligence (Timely Intelligence?), mainly because I apparently ship that. Sort of some implied/faint Amethyst Ocean, mainly because the _show_ ships that, and I default to writing it.  
>I'm not sure what to rate this. K+ or T, because the subject is heavy, but there's no swearing, so I don't know. T to be safe, I guess.<p>

To the people following me: Here's a thing for you while I procrastinate everything else.

Total length: ~7k words.

* * *

><p>When she died, she felt strange. The thing that was most strange about it was that she felt <em>fine<em>. Not different in the least. She always thought that dying would alter her somehow – she knew ghosts had obsessions and that those drove the ghost. But she didn't feel different or any less human than she had when she was alive.

The first days after she died, Jazz found herself looking in all the mirrors she could just to make sure that she _wasn't_ alive anymore. The same face she had in life looked back at her every time. The only thing different about her reflection was the white glow encasing her body. Other than that, she looked exactly as she always had. It was strange.

And now that life no longer had its hold on her, she didn't know what to do. For a time, she wandered through Amity Park, purposely invisible, purposely avoiding her brother. She didn't want him to sense her, not when she still didn't know what had happened. She didn't want to know what he'd do if he faced her. She didn't want to fight him, but what else would he do? The wound caused by her death was still raw and all he would see is an emotionless ghost taunting him with his sisters face.

No, Jazz didn't want that to happen. So she avoided her brother like the plague and hoped he didn't hate her for it.

A few times, she traveled to the city next to Amity, visiting the libraries there as if she was still alive. No one questioned it, unused to ghosts and thinking her mortal. Her glow wasn't noticeable in the light of day and for all that she was _dead_, she looked alive. She studied during those times; psychology, the paranormal, anything she could get her hands on.

It was an awful reminder that she couldn't go to school anymore, that this world didn't hold her anymore, but she didn't care. Even just holding the book was a comfort and Jazz would take anything she could.

* * *

><p>After nearly a month, Jazz sneaked into her own house, invisibly flying to the Ghost Portal. Danny wasn't home – she'd made sure of that before she came – and her parents were eating in the kitchen. She'd watched them until she felt her chest – her <em>core –<em> twist painfully and she had to fly downstairs before she did something she'd regret. The genetic lock opened the second she pressed it, regardless of the fact that she was a ghost herself. She was still a Fenton.

Jazz flew through the gateway, smiling ruefully. She'd have to mention that to Danny so he didn't think he had to change to human form to open or close the portal. Her smile fell. That is, if she ever saw him again...

Shaking the thoughts away, Jazz pushed herself to soar faster, legs blending together. She needed answers and there was only one place she knew she could get them.

* * *

><p>Clockworks' tower loomed ahead of her, the near silent ticking of the clock even more unnerving than before. Jazz shuffled nervously, suddenly unsure if she should even be here. It wasn't like her predicament deserved the attention of the ever elusive Time Master. Even if he'd said she was always welcome. <em>That<em> had been when she was alive and whole; now she was dead and confused over why she still _felt_ whole. Wasn't something supposed to be missing?

Breathing out an unnecessary breath, she pushed herself forward, floating through the open doorway. Halfway down the hall, Jazz heard the door close and couldn't help but smile. It had only been open for her.

The hallways, she knew, wound around in an infinite maze. It was designed to make anyone Clockwork didn't want to see so lost they gave up. And when that happened, the next hallway they turned into was the one leading to the exit.

Clockwork had told her this himself, a laugh in his voice and an amused smirk on his lips. _It is mostly for the Observants,_ he said, chuckling. Jazz knew the two groups hated each other, and after seeing one of the clothed eyes, she knew why. Though she'd never said it aloud, she disliked them too.

For her, the hallway didn't go on forever and opened to an archway after her next turn. She saw the clocks and glowing screens and smiled as she landed on her feet, walking inside the room.

"Hello Jasmine," the Ghost of Time greeted, turning to face her. He settled into his middle form and watched with a smile as Jazz immediately headed for the fridge. He'd set up the connecting room with anything she might need months ago and was always pleased that she used it. Even if she didn't need to anymore.

Realizing the same thing, Jazz froze, wide eyes glued to the appliance. She let her hand drop from the handle and stared at it. While the glow made it easier to see, she could still make out the color of the floor through her hand. She clenched it and whirled around to face Clockwork, leaving the room as she did so.

"What happened to me?" she demanded, confusion thick in her voice. Clockwork smiled sadly, twirling his staff.

"You died," he supplied. Jazz rolled her eyes, crossing her arms.

"Yes, I realize that. What I meant was, why don't I _feel_ dead?"

His eyes lit with an odd light and Jazz felt her core flutter before she clamped down on it. As it were, at least three of the cogs near her had trembled with her lack of control. Clockwork smirked at that but didn't comment.

"It is because you still have your humanity. A ghosts humanity comes from their sense of self. Likewise, when they lose everything but the one thing they hold closer than all the rest, that becomes their obsession.

"You have studied the human mind. Subconsciously, you have kept hold of everything that makes you, _you_. This is a unique occurrence," Clockwork mused, a smaller smile on his face. "Not many ghosts keep such a tight hold on their previous lives. Many try but only a few succeed." His smile softened further, "I am glad you are one of those few."

She returned his smile gratefully. However, it only lasted a second before her face fell and she sat heavily in mid-air. She folded her legs underneath her and floated in silence until she could speak again.

"But I'm still a _ghost_. My parents will never look at me again and Danny... I don't know what Danny will do," she pressed her face into her hands, fingernails curling into her forehead. She tried desperately to breathe, pulling air through her lungs even if she didn't need to. "I don't want to leave them all," she whispered. Clockwork floated over to her, placing his free hand on her back, rubbing circles between her shoulder blades.

"You do not have to. Trust yourself," he smiled down at her, seeing her eyes peak at him through her fingers. "Everything will be fine."

This time, her smile held for longer and she relaxed against his hand. _It'll be okay_, she thought. _Everything will be fine._

* * *

><p>When she arrived back in her house, closing the Portal behind her, Jazz had a very specific goal in mind. She needed to see her brother and, later, needed to prove to her parents that she was still herself. If, in the end, she could get her parents to accept her, maybe Danny wouldn't feel he had to hide so much. After all, if mom and dad could handle a <em>full<em> ghost daughter, couldn't they handle a _half_ ghost son?

She hoped they could, at least. She wasn't Clockwork. She didn't know how they'd take it.

Pushing her fears to the back of her mind, Jazz left the house intangibly, taking to the skies. She remained invisible just in case, and started her search for Danny. Right now, she'd just watch. She's talk to him when he was ready.

* * *

><p>She found him in the Nasty Burger with his two friends, staring blankly at his burger. Jazz settled on the roof of the building opposite the restaurant and just watched. Even after a month, it looked like her death was still affecting him. Jazz couldn't really say she was surprised. She <em>was<em> surprised that he was in the Nasty Burger when it was an explosion that claimed her life. She'd thought the location would be hard for him, in relation to that.

While she didn't really remember the incident with the C.A.T., Danny had told her the basics. He'd told her, reluctantly and only after she'd caught him having a nightmare about it, how the Nasty Burger had exploded with her, their parents, his friends and his teacher inside. While Jazz had been the only one of that group to die, it was still an explosion. The Nasty Burger was the last place she expected him to be.

As if hearing her thoughts, Danny pushed away from the table and left the building, heedless of his friends calling after him. Ducking into an alley, he transformed in his ghost form and shot into the sky. Jazz watched him go, hovering slightly in indecision. She could follow him if she wanted to, but she saw how distressed he still was. If he saw her, he wouldn't _see_ her. He'd just see a ghost that took her form.

Feeling sadness clench her core, Jazz floated further away from Danny, following his friends instead. They, at least, couldn't tell she was near.

* * *

><p>Sam wrapped her arms around herself, watching the black and white blur as it shot madly through the sky. She was worried about her friend, like she always was; this time, it was different. <em>Jazz<em> had been the one who died, the one who was gone. And it was only a matter of time before she materialized in the Ghost Zone and came to Amity Park. Whether she would come for malevolent purposes was unknown and Sam knew that was what Danny was so stressed about.

If Jazz came back as a ghost, she wouldn't be herself any more. And Danny couldn't face that.

Sam felt a hand grab her shoulder and turned to see Tucker watching her. He tried to smile at her, but it came out as a grimace. "He'll be fine. He just needs time to heal from this."

"How can he _heal_ when it's Jazz?" she asked and shrugged off his hand, glaring at the ground. "Until she shows up, he'd going to be like this. You know that. And when she shows up, he'll _break._"

Tucker winced, rubbing his arm as if she'd punched him. She wanted to. "We don't know that. Maybe she won't become a ghost. You know they don't always have to," he tried to reassure her but his heart wasn't in it. Sam could hear the doubt in his voice.

"She died violently, Tuck," she reminded him. "She'll show up."

Tucker just sighed, eyes clouded as they searched the sky. Danny was gone by now, either in some other part of town, or above the clouds. As much as he didn't want to admit it, Sam was right. Jazz would become a ghost. He just hoped she'd be sane. For all of their sakes.

* * *

><p>Jazz took to flying around Amity Park, her default mode set to invisible. She wasn't here to cause trouble, nor did she want to frighten anyone by looking like a regular human while flying around. There was only so much this town could take before the citizens broke and seeing an eighteen year old fly through the sky was a bit too much.<p>

She tried to stay out of Danny's range as much as she could, but she knew he'd sensed her a few times. She'd never come closer to him so every time she make his ghost sense go off, it was seen as a false alarm. Jazz saw Sam and Tucker share looks whenever this happened and knew they thought it was her. They were just relieved that, if it was her, she was leaving Danny alone as best she could.

No one in the group of five wanted Jazz to fight her brother.

* * *

><p>Finally, a month and a half after her death, Sam managed to convince Danny that Jazz wouldn't be coming to attack him. Her reasoning was something along the line of 'if she hasn't come by now, she won't come at all'. Danny had taken that, latching onto it with desperation. If he could believe that, maybe he could relax. Maybe then he could believe his sister wasn't some insane entity waiting to get to him, like all the other ghosts.<p>

He'd still invited his friends over that weekend, knowing his parents would be gone and not having it in him to sit in an empty house. They'd agreed heartily and the three settled in for a three day sleepover. Jazz watched from the ceiling and saw how, even though he shouldn't have, Danny ignored the puff of fog that escaped him, doing nothing more than wrapping a blanket around himself.

The three friends tried to cheer him up with movies and games but Danny was finally taking in her death. The previous six weeks had been spent pushing it away, fearing her appearance more than thinking about the fact that she was _gone_. Now, that fact was pushed in his face and he could do nothing but sit there and wallow.

His sister was dead. And she hadn't come back.

Danny fell asleep on the couch, face pressed into his blanket to muffle his sobs. Sam and Tucker pretended not to notice and ignored the tear tracks on his face when Danny woke up. Saturday was spent in silence as they all mourned.

And Jazz couldn't have that. Bad enough that she had to stay away for so long; she wouldn't let them sit there and cry over her if she could stop them.

"I really don't know what the big deal is," Jazz announced suddenly, fading into view in the living room, sitting in what had always been her specific chair. Danny and Sam were sitting on the couch, their eyes puffy and tried while Tucker lounged on the floor, PDA held limply in his hands. At the sound of her voice they all jumped, shock evident on all their faces as they looked at her.

"Jazz!" Danny cried, eyes wide as they locked on her, taking in the one and only change in her. Her glow was obvious in the dimly lit room, the lights off and the sun just starting to set.

She smiled at him softly. "Hello little brother. Did you miss me?" she gently teased, eyes sparkling. She pushed her melancholy aside, knowing he _had_ missed her; his red eyes evidence enough even if she hadn't watched him crying the day before.

Tears filled his eyes again and his voice shook as he tried to speak, "But you... you _died_ and you're not... Ghosts don't... anymore..." he trailed off, breath hitching. He looked away, rubbing his face harshly. His face settled into a trembling frown. "Ghosts don't feel the same things as humans, you're not–"

"Danny." Jazz cut him off, settling her patent disapproving frown on him, "I know that. But I didn't feel like that when I– _formed_. I went to Clockwork and he told me about a rare class of ghosts," she smiled again, seeing Danny's eyes light with hope. Sam and Tucker watched the siblings in silence.

"Some ghosts are able to hold onto their lives better than others. Usually, this results in obsessions, but that's only when the ghost concentrates on a single aspect of their life. Clockwork told me that because I studied the mind, I was able to hold onto _everything_. I haven't changed, little brother," she finished in a whisper, reaching over to place a hand on the boys shoulder.

The next moment, she held him in her arms as he sobbed, murmuring comforting nonsense as she brushed his hair. Tucker was smiling up at them, though his eyes were misty. Sam stood and joined the hug, squeezing tightly.

It felt so good to be home.


	2. Chapter 2

_And now, the originally unplanned second chapter_

* * *

><p>Her parents found her, finally, a week later. They'd heard voices coming from their sons room and initially thought he had his friends over. But they knew both Tucker and Sam were out of town and that Danny had no other friends he hung out with. So they walked upstairs as quietly as they could and paused outside his door, listening to his laughter.<p>

"It's not funny, Danny! I didn't even know I could do that!" they heard a girl yell and Danny's laughter increased. The girl huffed. "It was never funny when these things happened to you," she muttered and Jack and Maddie heard her voice properly.

They almost busted the door off its hinges when they ran into the room.

Both of their children looked up, startled at their entrance. Danny was laying on his bed, propped up by his headboard. His blue eyes widened in shock, glancing worriedly at the girl before staring at his parents with a set jaw. And sitting in his desk chair, hands white as they gripped the arm rest, was Jasmine, teal eyes wide with... was that fear?

"Jazzy," Jack whispered brokenly and Maddie gasped out a sob.

"Jazz! You're alive!" she rushed forward, dragging her daughter into her arms. She felt Jazz stiffen. "We were so worried, we thought you–"

"Mom," she interrupted, her voice quiet and sad, "I'm not. Alive that is. I did die." She pulled herself out of her mothers hug, running a hand over her arm. She turned her teal eyes to her dad, watching as something flashed through his eyes. Maddie was shaking her head.

"But that... You're _here_, you can't be–"

"A ghost?" Jazz filled in, sad smile turning her lips. Danny moved so he was siting as close as he could, hand wrapped around hers. Maddie stared at their combined hands, finally noticing the contrast between Danny's pale skin and Jazz's fainting glowing body. She shook her head again.

"You know I died," Jazz continued, having grown used to that fact after a month (longer, because of Clockwork) and no longer minding. She ignored it when her parents flinched. "You may not have seen a body, but I didn't survive that explosion. Not physically, at least. My mind survived."

"How can we believe that?" Jack asked sharply, twitching in the doorway. Danny squeezed her hand and shifted so he was in front of her, one foot planted firmly on the ground. Jack glanced at him briefly then back at Jazz. "Ghosts don't have emotions. They don't remember their lives."

Jazz snorted, rolling her eyes. "Most don't, no. But how many ghosts do you think there are, dad?" She glared at him, "There are _millions_ of ghosts. You've seen, what, twenty? At best? So the only ones who come to wreak havoc have a solid obsession, that means _nothing_. Have you ever been to the Far-Frozen? Or the Acropolis of Athens? There are entire societies of ghosts in the 'Zone, most of which want _nothing_ to do with the Human World. You want to know why? Because of people like _you_, who think they know _everything_ and don't even give them the chance to tell you different!"

Jazz stood up, Danny's hand falling through hers as she turned it intangible. Her long orange hair floated around her, barely noticeable. But her parents saw it and moved back slightly. The air seemed to swirl around her and her glow brightened. Her eyes flashed at them. Even if she hadn't been a ghost, they knew she was preparing to lecture them. She had often enough before.

"Ghosts are _just like_ humans. If every person you ever met was a criminal, would you think _every single_ person was bad? No! Because there are _so many_ and not _everyone_ can be bad! So what makes you think all ghosts are evil besides your own _conceitedness_?" she spat, eyes flaring. They didn't change from their normal color but they glowed and a few of the items laying around Danny's room rattled.

"Jazz, stop." Danny stood, walking over to pull her to the floor. She hadn't even noticed she was floating. She scowled at him but he just smiled, pulling on her until she was sitting in his desk chair again. Jazz huffed, folding her arms as her aura relaxed. Her hair settled down, her eyes dulling to their normal intensity. The room fell silent as everything stilled.

Maddie sat down heavily on her sons bed, blinking. Jack sighed and sank to the floor, leaning his back on the door. Danny settled back into his spot, keeping one hand on Jazz. She smiled wearily at him.

Jazz turned to her parents, sheepish. "Sorry," she said, referencing her rant. Maddie just shook her head, eyes downcast.

"No, you had every right. It's... we should be sorry. It must've been... hard, coming back."

"Not really. Nothing seemed to change so it was actually harder to stay away," Jazz grinned. "The only thing that really changed is I glow now. And have telekinesis apparently."

Jack looked at her, confused. "How could nothing have changed?" he asked incredulously. "You're a _ghost_."

"But I still have my humanity. All of it, not just something to form an obsession." She shrugged, "It's rare but it can happen."

"So this... You're okay? With this?" Maddie asked cautiously. Jazz raised an eyebrow at her.

"Are you?" she retorted, feeling something stir in her core. If they were, maybe Danny could finally say something. She sent him a glance and he frowned lightly. But he didn't shake his head. She looked back at her mom, "I can't change what happened and I'm not going to dwell on it."

Both her parents nodded with thoughtful looks. Jack stood and shared a concerned look with his wife and she sighed. Maddie tried to smile at her children but knew they saw the hesitation in her eyes.

"Just, give us some time. We need to think about... all this," she waved her hand through the air, probably indicating Jazz and something else the ghost couldn't see. Jazz sighed.

"Alright. But no weapons, okay? I want to be able to stick around, but if anything comes near me, I'll be gone so fast..." she left it hanging, giving her parents sad looks. She didn't want to have to leave them, even if she'd never give up trying. She'd just have to go through Danny then, and that was so much harder.

"No weapons," Jack agreed quickly, surprising her. He was the one she'd thought more likely to go for a gun, but if he was forgoing them, maybe they really were coming around.

"Thanks," Jazz whispered, watching their backs as they trudged out of Danny's room, closing the door behind him. Danny let out a long breath, falling backwards onto his pillows. Jazz chuckled weakly at him.

"That was _exhausting,_" Danny groaned, rolling over to press his face in his pillow. "And what was that look about?" he mumbled, letting one eye peek at her. Jazz smiled mischievously.

"If they can accept a ghost as a daughter, don't you think they'd be okay with a half-ghost son?" she asked innocently and held back a laugh when Danny bristled.

"You're not going to _tell_–"

"_I'm_ not going to. But you should. If they're okay with me, they'll be okay with you," she said and he relaxed slightly. She could see the tension in his shoulders, though. "Dad promised no weapons. Don't you think that's a good indication of them coming around?"

Danny sighed and flopped further in his bed. "I guess," he whispered. He tightened his hold on his pillow, pressing his face into it firmly. Jazz was surprised he hadn't phased through anything yet with how he was acting.

She leaned over to rub his back. "It'll work out, little brother. Everything will be fine," Jazz said, repeating Clockworks words. Danny shrugged but didn't disagree and his shoulders relaxed. Jazz supposed that would be good enough for now. Tomorrow was when things would get difficult.

* * *

><p>The next day was awkward and Danny gave an excuse to get out of the house as soon as he could, texting Sam and Tucker to meet him at the park as he practically ran from his home. Jazz floated behind him, invisible as she had grown used to when she was outside. She knew Danny could feel her following him, even if he couldn't see her.<p>

Twenty minutes later, all four of them were in a secluded part of the park, Jazz sitting on the ground beside Sam. They formed a circle with Danny across from her and Tucker facing Sam. Danny currently had his head in his hands, elbows digging into his knees. Sam reached out to pat his back and he leaned towards her with a sigh.

"I just don't know what I'm going to do," he muttered and Jazz scoffed.

"You don't have to be worried. _I'm_ the one they're focused on," she reminded him. "They don't know anything about _you_. I'm the one who has to worry that I can't get home because they've put up the shield that _you_ can still walk through." She hunched forward, rubbing her arm. "Even when they're chasing you, you only have to turn human for them to love you again. I don't have that option anymore."

"Jazz," Tucker started to say, then broke off. He didn't _know_ what to say to her; didn't have anything to reassure her with. If the Fentons didn't accept that their daughter was as fine as a ghost could be, she would have to leave. And since she still _felt_ the same, that was like being disowned for her. Only, now, she had nowhere else to go. At one point, she could have moved into a residence near whatever school she was going to; she could have moved into a friends house. Now, those weren't options. The closest she'd get to that would be living in the Ghost Zone and that would cut her off from everyone.

Instead of saying anything, Tucker put an arm around her shoulders and pulled her closer. It was the only comfort he could think to give.

"If you have to leave, I'm going with you," Danny said decidedly, his eyes hard. Jazz gave him a shocked look, then smiled sadly.

"I know you will. You don't have to," she said, but knew any attempts she made to change his mind would fail. If she had to leave, she could always go to Clockwork; he couldn't change anything for her, but she liked being near him. She had a place to stay if things went south with her parents. Jazz didn't want Danny to have to live in the Ghost Zone with her, not with two years of school still ahead of him.

"I want to," he told her firmly, reaching out to grab her hand. This was his sister and he'd be damned if he let his parents run her out of his life. Danny knew she knew this; she couldn't stop him if that was what happened.

He just hoped it wasn't.

* * *

><p>They flew home slowly, the street lamps spreading light that mixed with their ghostly glows. Many times over the short fly home, Danny had stopped, laying on his back to watch the stars, feeling his sister drift next to him. She knew he was purposely extending the time it took to get home; nevertheless, she let him continue. She was dreading what they'd find just as much as he was.<p>

Jazz didn't want to admit it, but she was scared that when they went through the door, her parents would be waiting for them both, guns ready. Even if they didn't know their son was half-ghost, if they hated ghosts enough, they'd target him because he was friendly with one. Never mind that she was their daughter and of course her brother would side with her.

Jazz didn't want to be the reason her brother had to run from his own family. That would break her more than her own death had.

* * *

><p>Danny landed on the front step and Jazz took a moment to hide him behind a green shield as he shifted into human form, even though there was no one around to see him. He gave her a smile when she dropped the shield, then hesitantly entered their house. Jazz followed him, walking on the floor as opposed to floating. Acting more ghostly than she needed didn't seem right under the circumstances.<p>

Their parents were sitting on the couch on the living room, Jack rubbing circles on Maddie's back as she sat with her head in her hands. Danny coughed quietly in the archway, rubbing the back of his neck and constantly looking at Jazz, as if he needed to reassure himself she was still with him.

"Kids!" Jack called when he saw them, head snapping up with his typical carefree grin. Maddie gave them a tired smile as they sat themselves nervously on the remaining seats. Jazz could feel her core vibrating painfully and twitched slightly. The feeling was still odd.

"So," Danny hemmed, his hands wringing together.

"So," his mother replied and took comfort in her husbands hand on her shoulder.

"What was that when you lectured us?" Jack launched and both teens flinched, thrown off by the question. "All the stuff in Danny-boy's room started floating and rotating. That was so cool! If I hadn't been scared out of my wits, I mean; _man_, can you lecture, eh Jazzy?"

Jazz stared at him, stunned into gaping. Her core settled slowly and she blinked. "What?"

Jack moved his hands in front of him and wriggled his fingers. "The glowing and floating stuff around you? So cool."

"Uh..." she stuttered, sneaking a glance at Danny. He shrugged, just as bewildered as her. "That was... I _think_ it was, telekinesis. I think it's my specialization."

"You have a specialization, but no obsession?" Maddie questioned, leaning forward. Her eyes were curious and Jazz couldn't see anything malicious in them. Still, she was going to stay out of her arms reach just in case she hinted towards the lab.

"I suppose. Every ghost has a special talent of some sort, even if they don't have an obsession. The ones with an obsession usually have a corresponding talent," Jazz groused and a wry grin appeared on Danny's face.

"Like Technus. And Ghostwriter."

Maddie spun narrowed eyes on him and he gulped, looking at the floor. "How do you know those ghosts? We haven't heard of them," she indicated Jack and her both. Danny fidgeted.

"I've seen them around town. And Ghostwriter targeted me at Christmas two years ago. You remember, with all the turkeys?"

"Why would a ghost target you?" she pressed. Jazz looked frantically between them but saw no way to escape without lying and she didn't want Danny to have to do that anymore. When the truth came out, all his lies would only hurt him.

"Because I, uh..." he let out a sigh and refused to look at anyone. "You two were arguing all the time and I needed to... go somewhere else. So, I took the SS into the Ghost Zone and tried to forget what time of year it was. Only, I found a Christmas story floating around and I... in a fit of anger, I destroyed it. The Ghostwriter was angry that I did and trapped me in the new story he was writing. That's his talent, making whatever he writes real.

"But there's a truce between the ghosts during Christmas and the rest of them got mad at him for attacking me and managed to get me out of it. Only I ended it by saying 'orange' and Ghostwriter couldn't rhyme anything with orange. So I had to finish the story myself and that was how the night ended."

Maddie looked at him closer and Jazz twitched, trying to cover him from her gaze. "Why would the ghosts protect you if it was a _ghost_ truce?" their mother wondered suspiciously.

Danny flinched even worse at that and Jazz saw him start to tremble. A strange, low hum filled the air and her core ached at the sound. Suddenly, she realized his core was vibrating with the force of his fear.

He'd backed himself into a corner.

"He'll tell you later," Jazz interrupted loudly, her eyes darting between the boy and their mother. Jack watched her quietly and she was struck by how mature he was acting. He was the one who had promised a weaponless talk; he was the one who tried to ease her out of her fright with his enthusiasm. As much as she was happy he was acting his age, Jazz hated that it took her death to do it.

"He better," Maddie grumbled with one last suspicious stare. Then she sighed and slumped against Jack, her eyes closed. "This is just so much. I never thought..."

"In your vendetta against ghosts, you forgot that when your own family died, they would become ghosts," Jazz concluded and watched coolly as her mother flinched. Danny grabbed her arm and squeezed warningly. She shot him a small glare and he let go.

"I just hope I managed to get through to you yesterday. It's not possible for every ghost to be evil; there are too many for that to be possible," Jazz sent her mother a firm stare and Maddie pursed her lips.

"How can you be so sure about that? There is the possibility that those ghosts are pretending to be _nice_ and _good_ just to trick you," the woman declared and Jazz let out a long, frustrated sigh.

"Mom, _I'm a ghost_. I'm not trying to trick you; they're not trying to trick me. Frostbite wouldn't be mean to _anyone_. There are a few who would even go out of their way to _help_ someone. And there are as many ghosts as humans, if not more. You can't base a whole world on the few you've seen."

Maddie let out a soft scoff and Jazz saw Jack press her shoulder. Was that a warning? Or encouragement? She couldn't tell anymore.

"I suppose you think Phantom is one of those _good_ ghosts too," their mother groused and Danny flinched, flicking his eyes to the floor before focusing back on Maddie's ear. But, however quick the movement was, she saw it and pounced. "_You _do? Danny? Even after all he's done?"

Danny looked up angrily, locking his eyes with Maddie's. "_What_ has he done? He's only ever protected the town!"

"He stole and he kidnapped–"

"He did not!" Danny cut her off loudly, jumping to his feet. Jazz made a wild grab at him and caught his hand for all of a second before he turned it intangible, letting her hand fall away. He stalked forward, jabbing his finger at Maddie and she pressed back into the couch with wide eyes. "The mayor was overshadowed; Phantom was being held hostage by _him_, threatened that Walker would hurt the townspeople. Didn't you notice the mayor's eyes were red? So were Phantom's when he was forced to steal things for that crazy Freakshow! And the only time he'd _ever_ hurt somebody would be _accidentally_. The only times he's caused damage is when a ghost throws him around!"

"How would you know?" Maddie snapped and Danny's eyes flared. He retorted before he could think, caught up in his anger.

"Because I am him!"

The living room fell very silent and Jazz felt her core lurch as she watched Danny pant, his eyes hardened as he stared down their parents. Neither of whom seemed to be breathing. Jack was opening and closing his mouth, trying to find some way to respond to that and coming up empty. Maddie was still leaning backwards, away from the angry onslaught and only just seemed to have heard him. She pulled in a breath and Danny turned away, falling back into his chair where he pressed his hands to his face, breath quickening. Jazz looped an arm over his shoulder and, this time, he let her.

She turned wary eyes to her parents, watching as Maddie gaped and Jack slowly settled. "That wasn't how it was supposed to come out," she ventured and felt Danny flinch under her arm. She squeezed him to her, eyes never leaving the adults.

Jack sent them both a grin that quickly faltered, his eyes haunted. "Was it my fault?" he asked Danny quietly and the boy jerked forward, hands falling down as he stared at his dad incredulously.

"What? No! Dad, don't–" he shook his head rapidly, letting loose a horrible sounding laugh. "It was my own fault, I never should have been down there. You guys told me not to, I just didn't listen."

"What happened?" Jack continued in that same soft tone, not looking reassured in the least. Danny looked at the floor.

"The portal. I... I thought I could fix it, get it running," he started.

Jack nodded. "You did. We don't know _what_ you did, but it started up one day."

Danny laughed again and it sounded pained. "Yeah. Yeah, I fixed it. I wish I hadn't. I should've... I did it wrong," his voice faded and he winced with remembered pain. He looked up just enough to see his dad giving him a questioning look. He ignored Maddie entirely. "I forgot to unplug it before I looked around. I was inside, trying to find any mixed wires or whatever made it quit." He quirked a hollow grin then, eyes dulling just a touch. "Did you know you made a power switch panel?" he asked and Jack blanched.

"But... _no_," he clenched his hands and looked sick. "It _was_ my fault. I was the one that put those there; I forgot about them; _I_ didn't–"

"Stop," Danny pleaded, eyes closed. "I was the one who pushed it. You didn't do anything." He sucked in a few more breaths and leaned on his sister before he spoke again, his voice horribly flat.

"Sam and Tucker told you guys I was shocked; only a little bit, just enough to shake me up. But I didn't get out of the tunnel fast enough to avoid the start up."

Maddie leaned forward suddenly, hands over her face and she shook. Danny aborted a lurch towards her, watching as Jack wrapped her up in his arms. He was oddly calm, Jazz thought.

"So... what?" Maddie choked out, "you _died_ and you just didn't tell us? For two years, you've been _dead_?" She sounded hysterical. She had every right, Jazz thought. First, her daughter shows up as a ghost and the next day she finds out her son's been one for years? There was only so much, so soon, someone could take.

"I didn't die," Danny corrected her quietly. She gave his a flat look, and he corrected, "I mean, I might have, partially. Or something. Tucker thought I just got a massive amount of ectoplasmic radiation, and the electricity bound it to my DNA, making me _like_ a ghost, but not actually turning me _into_ a ghost.

"I can do anything a ghost can, though. And I have a core, which is elemental, but I don't think I have a specialty," he turned questionably to Jazz, both to ask her about it and to avoid their parents eyes. Jazz shrugged.

"You might get one later. It might also be because you're still human, you won't develop one until you die fully. I don't know. Clockwork doesn't tell me anything."

Danny nodded, though he gave her a questioning look. Probably for bringing up the time ghost. She'd tell him later. The two turned back to their parents, who both looked drained.

"I'm what the other ghosts call a Halfa," he continued explaining, trying to fill the air that was threatening to send him into a nervous wreck. "Half ghost, half human. It's about as accurate as they can get and there really isn't any other word for it. Halfas are very rare too; usually, before people started researching ghosts, they only came about when a ghost and a human got together. But, then people started inventing things and, well, accidents happen," he shrugged. He fidgeted as a heavy silence threatened to fall over them again.

Then, in a sudden movement, Maddie reached forward and grabbed him, wrapping him up in her arms. Still tense from the accusations and having his secret out, Danny yelped, automatically phasing out of her grip. Maddie blinked at the air in front of her, looking up to see Danny partially behind Jazz, who was trying to hide a laugh. He blushed under her gaze.

In the background, Jack boomed out a laugh.

The living room was suddenly filled with laughter, some of it pained as the day washed away from them. Danny barely noticed when he started crying, the tears somewhere between fear and relief. Maddie reached for him again, slower this time, and he let her hug him, smiling wearily when he felt Jazz's coldness wrap around him from behind. The hug squeezed tighter and he knew Jack had joined. The family became a huddle in the middle of the living room, everyone sitting on the floor.

Jazz grinned, insanely proud of them all.

This was her family. And nothing would tear it apart.


End file.
